DENNIS NAKU writes about the mood of the Omoeke community in Rivers State, the hometown of the late Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Dr Herbert Wigwe, who died in an air crash in the United States of America last Friday along with his wife and son received the shocking news and gives account of the activities in Omoeke, his hometown, and nine other communities in Isiokpo, headquarters of Ikwerre local government area of Rivers State ever since
It was a renowned Nigerian poet, John Pepper Clark, who in one of his legendary works titled, ‘Casualties,’ said, “The casualties are not only those who are dead. They are well out of it.”
The above lines in the first stanza of that epic poem somewhat captured the mood and situation in Omoeke and Isiokpo, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State where the late Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings and founder of Wigwe University, Dr Herbert Wigwe, hailed from.
Wigwe died along with his wife, Chizoba, and son when an Airbus Helicopter EC130B4 they were travelling in crashed at a border town between California Nevada in the United States of America last week. The crash also claimed the lives of a former group chairman of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Abimola Ogunbanjo.
In Omoeke, and the entire Isiokpo kingdom, the tears have not dried up, and the weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth have continued. Pain, shock, agony, and grief best describe what the kinsmen of the late international businessman are experiencing at the moment.
Already, Isiokpo, comprising 10 communities, is observing eight days of mourning which began on Wednesday as a mark of honour and respect for their illustrious son, according to the Nye-Nwe-Ali of Isiokpo, Blessing Wagor.
Community shuts shops in mourning
The Nye-Nwe-Ali of Isiokpo, who had been receiving visitors from within and outside the area, told our correspondent in his palace on Tuesday, that he first heard about the incident on social media.
“As you can see, I’m still in shock. We are in a mourning mood; we have lost an illustrious son who always put smiles on the faces of our people.
“Every December, he came to the community with trailer loads of rice, rams, goats, and cows which he distributed to every member of the community.
“Yes, every December! During the last Christmas, nobody in this community bought rice because Herbert came with trailer loads of rice which he distributed to every member of the community.
“Our mourning period starts on Wednesday, February 14, and it will last for eight days. On Wednesday, every member of this community will gather here in a procession to mourn our son.”
Governor Siminalayi Fubara expressed shock and sadness at the news of the death of the banking guru, his wife, son, and others in the crash, describing the incident as a monumental disaster.
Fubara, in a statement by his media aide, Boniface Onyedi, said “it would be extremely difficult to understand this sweeping loss of a family involving a strong pillar, accomplished banker and philanthropist with tentacles in the educational sector”.
The governor noted that the prestigious university that Wigwe pioneered must not be allowed to die.
Wigwe planned to build community specialist hospital – Relative
The quiet of the home of the father of the late bank chief, located on a major road in Omoeke, was noticeable.
Opposite the building, one of Wigwe’s relatives and staff member of Arik Air, Pastor Nduka Nsirim, who gave Sunday PUNCH a warm welcome into his residence, revealed some of the plans and vision the late business mogul had for his people, as he painted a picture of the mood of the community when news of the tragedy filtered into the community.
“The first information we got was that (it involved) a helicopter, but the picture we saw on the Internet was a jet. At least, I can differentiate between a helicopter and a jet because I work at an airport.
“I told myself that it (the crash) was not true. So, I tried reaching my uncle until I got one of them who said they were still confused the same way as I was seeing it. I think it was the PUNCH Newspaper that said, “feared dead”.
“Eventually, we called our relations outside (Nigeria) and they confirmed to us that it was real. This whole village (Omoeke) was a no-go area. People were crying, falling on the streets because nobody in this village would say they have not benefited one thing or the other from him.
“A lot of young boys here are rich because of him (Wigwe). He made some rich, not really by giving them money, but he can give you the contacts,” Nsirim said.
He said unlike some wealthy folks who deliberately prevented people from coming close or treating them with scorn when they visited their communities, Wigwe was different.
“He (Wigwe) was someone who listened to even the smallest person. He gave a listening ear to everybody, especially the widows.
“He even had the intention of building a specialist hospital but death (came)! And that (the proposed hospital) was for free medicals for people above 50 or 60 years of age.”
Asked how often Wigwe visited home, he said, “Even if youths in the community had one programme or the other, like an end-of-year party, and they invited him when he was available, he came. He would just fly in with his private jet. Sometimes, he invited the governor to accompany him.
“He made that little gathering important. There is a bicycle carnival that we, the youth, organise. When it got to him, he said it was a good one. So, we were all at home, and we didn’t know when CNN started advertising it, and he was the one who did that.”
“He said the glory of Isiokpo must be restored. That was why he built the university. So that news (of his death) was so shocking (that) up till now, if you look a lot of people are wearing black,” the pastor added.
Corroborating Nsirim’s comments, another native of Isiokpo, Innocent Chikwem, said Wigwe opened several branches of Access Bank in many Ikwerre-speaking communities in the state and promoted economic activities in the areas.
Chikwem said, “He opened up economic activities in Isiokpo and other Ikwerre-speaking areas of Rivers State. If you go around, you will find many branches of Access Bank in the rural communities of Ikwerre and other local government areas of Rivers State.
“Those Access Bank branches opened up business and economic activities in Ikwerre-speaking communities in the state. Dr Wigwe was a very simple man and did not discriminate despite his social status; he treated everybody who came his way with dignity no matter their social status.”
Heavy heart at Wigwe varsity
While Wigwe’s death held a doleful grip on the entire kingdom, Ikwerre, and beyond, it also took a toll on the university cited in Isiokpo as construction work, though ongoing, reflected the mood of the community as many of the construction workers made long faces.
The university occupies a large landmass of about 400 hectares in Isiokpo, the headquarters of Ikwerre, and sprawls into the Ibaa community in the Emuoha Local Government Area of the state with several state-of-the-art facilities, including administrative buildings and hostels already standing.
As of the time of Sunday PUNCH’s visit, some earth-moving equipment was seen on the site moving materials, digging, and clearing, typical of a well-mobilised construction site with men working in various areas.
A timekeeper at the site, Anidinma Awaji-Oyi, in a chat with our correspondent, said since work started at the site, scores of people from Isiokpo and outside the area had been engaged. He said the news of Wigwe’s death came as a rude shock to the workers.
She said, “We felt very sad. I feel very sad because the man was very good. Anytime he visited the site, the workers always rejoiced.
“We are always happy even if we were not directly connected to him because he was not a bad person. We loved the way he talked to people and the way he walked around the site. Sometimes, he came down from his vehicle and trekked around.
“We saw the news (of his death) on social media and that day, everywhere was quiet; everybody was sad. Last Sunday, most of the workers cried and wondered why this happened to him.
That Sunday morning, the expatriates advised that there should be no work for that day and that the workers should go back home and resume the next day,” Oyi said in an emotion-laden voice.
Asked whether she was worried that the project might be stalled due to Wigwe’s death, she said, “No I don’t think so. I don’t pray for that.
“Nobody will want something like this (university project) to stop because it may also be an opportunity for some people. This school I believe will offer scholarships to some people.
“So, I don’t pray for the project to stop. Who knows? One of my children may study here. Even employment here is every day.”
Like many others who first saw the devastating incident through social media, a worker at the university site, Reuben Chineme, said he later heard it on the radio, even as he recalled with nostalgia that Wigwe visited the site a fortnight ago.
A crestfallen Chineme, while speaking with Sunday PUNCH, said, “It was a piece of very sad news to all the workers here. He usually came to the site. Just two Sundays ago, he was here. He usually moved around the whole site. Sometimes, he waved at us.
“It was shocking to hear that he died. It is very sad and painful; you can see that we are not happy.”
Wigwe initiated rural electricity project – Cleric
Arch-Deacon, at St Peter’s Cathedral, Isiokpo, Venerable Christopher Idika, made a name for himself in different areas of his life, not only on one side.
“We, who are pastors, in the land, feel the pain of his departure. It is just that recently, the community has been losing its best. Let me put it that way because between December (2023) and now if I’m not mistaken, the community has lost three to four prominent people.
“And they die in their 40s and 50s. So when such things happen, ideally, the people will feel the pain. But this one (Wigwe’s death) is one in a million, judging by who he was,” the distraught Anglican priest said.
However, kinsmen of the late businessman on Wednesday vowed to use ancient tradition to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of their son.
The Isiokpo traditional leadership made this clear during a procession to begin the eight days of mourning declared in Wigwe’s honour. Markets, shops, and other business premises in the ancient kingdom were shut, while the people wore black attires to show sympathy.
Many in Omoeke, Wigwe’s country home, and the other nine communities in Isiokpo, took part in the procession which covered many communities and ended at the palace of the palace of the Nye-Nwe-Ali of Isiokpo, who was seated with his council of chiefs to receive hundreds of mourners who trooped out.
The monarch lamented the loss of the bank chief whom he said initiated different projects for the development of the community and its people.
“Who will now complete the ongoing electricity project he initiated? Who will give us light? He was a special man to us.
“We are crying and mourning him. God knows everything. I won’t ask God why. We hand over everything to God. May God give us the mind to endure it.
“We relied on him. He came to develop Isiokpo. He was a wonderful person to us. He left many legacies in the community.
“He cited a university here. He made many promises. He made many promises. We are in tears. The light project He promised us is still ongoing. Who will give us light again? “He has gone and we are in pain. What happens to our Christmas rice and bonus? He used to supply rice all over Isiokpo. We enjoyed him. His death is painful. He was humble, honest, and respectful,” Wigor added.
Why community will probe Wigwe’s death, bury him in Isiokpo – Monarch
The traditional ruler further explained that the late Wigwe would not be buried anywhere outside Isiokpo, where he would receive a befitting traditional burial.
“We must traditionally bury him. He cannot be buried outside Isiokpo. He must be buried here. Isiokpo must find a way to probe his death.
“We must get to the root of the whole thing. Isiokpo is an ancient city. We must go back to our traditional way and find out what really killed Herbert Wigwe. If his death is natural, we will know. If it is from a human, we will know.”
Wigwe’s death suspicious – Youth council
Backing the monarch’s position, the President of Isiokpo Youth Council and the coordinating Chairman of the Ikwerre community youth leaders, Apostle Peter Ezemoye, said Wigwe’s death was a bitter pill to swallow.
Ezemoye added, “We are not too comfortable with the stories. We, the youth of Isiokpo, are using this opportunity to call on the Federal Government, the state, and the National Assembly to look into this and follow up investigations to know what happened.
“We are not buying into the stories. It is a great loss to us and we can’t just lose a brother and father like that. We want Interpol and the Nigerian government to find out what happened.
“I am not a pilot and I am not an engineer but in my understanding when the weather is bad, you don’t take off. So, the engineering crew and the helicopter company should be investigated. We need a thorough investigation to see what happened.”
